Terriers confident of getting all three points

Huddersfield Town are confident of securing all three points at The Valley tomorrow and thus taking what they regard as a 'major scalp'. This view held by a number of teams of the match against Charlton as the equivalent of a cup final doesn't help us at all. However, it is evident that the Terriers are not going to play for the draw, so that should make for a higher quality game than against Oldham: Scalp

Striker Robin Simpson (thigh) and Tom Clarke (knee) are not available, but the Terriers are travelling south with what they regard as a strong squad.

With Semedo hopefully back tomorrow, I would stick with the 4-4-1-1 formation as I don't think we have a viable 4-4-2 to start with. McLeod unsettles the opposition with his pace, but Shelvey unsettles them in other ways and McLeod misses sitters in front of goal. Tuna is a work in progress and McKenize is not fully match fit.

I find this a difficult match to forecast, although some other bloggers have settled on 2-1 which seems reasonable. However, it could be 2-1 in the other direction and I will settle for another draw at 1-1.

Tuna puts Addicks ahead

Can we aspire to it?

Tamer Tuna and Izale McLeod are the attacking duo in tonight's 4-4-2 formation for the Johnstone's Paint match against Barnet, reports West Malling's Philippa Nicholson from The Valley. Wagstaff comes in for Lloyd Sam and Grant Basey replaces the ill Llera in central defence. Chris Solly gets a start in place of Frazer Richardson. Yado Mambo, Luke Holden and Alex Stavinrou feature on the bench, alongside Jonjo Shelvey and Darren Randolph.

Bailey fed a good ball to Tuna but he was unable to control it and it went to the keeper. McLeod put in a decent shot, it took a deflection and went over the bar and Charlton won a corner. The ball was cleared from the corner taken by Basey.

McLeod burst into the box, but Barnet defended well. An effort by Jake Hyde took a deflection giving them their first corner of the game. Charlton failed to clear, Bailey not covering himself with distinction, and O'Flynn scored for Barnet at the far post to put them 0-1 ahead.

Barnet's lead lasted four minutes. Izale McLeod had plenty of space to take a shot and, after a deflection, it went into the back of the net. Barnet boss Ian Hendon went ballistic and didn't recover for several minutes.

Jarrett put in a good cross and it was headed behind by Basey for a Barnet corner. The corner went wide at the far post.

Barnet appealed for a penalty after a challenge and might have had a case. Charlton won a corner at the other end which was unproductive.

A Jarrett cross was blocked by Solly at the expense of a corner. It looked dangerous, but Elliot was able to make the save. A shot from Spring went over the bar into the Barnet fans who contributed in their hundreds to the attendance of 4,522.

Solly was brought down by Jarrett and received a talking to from the referee. Tuna and McLeod combined well, but the Barnet keeper was able to come out and clear the ball for a throw in. Tuna put in a volley from a difficult angle and it went wide.

Wagstaff made a great run, he fed McLeod but his shot went over and in any case there was a Barnet free kick for a handball by the striker.

Basey started a move, Racon broke free, his effort was charged down but the ball fell to Tuna fourteen yards out and he put in a great shot with the outside of his right foot to make it 2-1 five minutes before the break.

Danger man Jarrett put in a good cross, but Youga was able to clear. Solly, being giving a torrid time by Jarrett, conceded a corner. Bailey managed to clear high into the air this time and Charlton broke. Racon burst through the centre of the field and played in Tuna, but Barnet keeper Jake Cole did well to make a stop in front of the striker.

An effort from Bailey went wide in time added on as it started to drizzle. Tamer burst through on the right and should have shot but he fed McLeod but his shot was poor.

Half time: Addicks 2, Bees 1

Bolasie on loan from Plymouth put in a shot and Elliot had to ball over for a corner which was played short. Eventually Youga was able to clear. Racon went into the box, but his shot was cleared.

Racon, having played his part, was taken off and replaced by Stavinrou. Mark Hughes was taken off and replaced by Tabiri. Tuna was replaced by Shelvey. The game was relatively quiet in the opening fifteen minutes of the half.

McLeod put in an awful effort from 25 yards out and put his head in his hands.

Charlton won a free kick 25 yards out after Stavinrou was brought down. Shelvey got it round the four man wall and way over. Mambo came on in place of Solly with Youga going to right back. This was a bit surprising as Solly had dealt better with Jarett in the second half.

Barnet won a corner off Youga. Bailey headed the ball away, it came back in but the move ended in a goal kick for Charlton.

The Addicks won a free kick 25 yards out after McLeod was brought down. Bailey hammered the ball into the corner of the net to make it 3-1 against his former side with fifteen minutes to go. A superb free kick.

Basey charged forward but his left footed effort was well wide.

Elliot fumbled the ball and Mambo had to get a foot to it in order to clear. McLeod burst into the penalty area, Shelvey showed excellent skill but Yakubu managed to get his body in the way with a possibility of handball to stop the fourth Addicks goal.

Mambo dealt with a Barnet cross with five minutes to go. Charlton counter attacked, Wagstaff stormed through, he had a defender alongside him, but his finish was superb to make it 4-1.

Four minutes of time were added on. Barnet won their seventh corner of the game. Bailey headed the ball away. It came back in, but Charlton cleared. McLeod was taken off with cramp, reducing Charlton to ten men. Barnet won a free kick and eventually Youga cleared.

Job done - and loads of free paint.

Last gasp winner at Crawley

It was the unlikely figure of Izale McLeod who pulled off a last gasp winner for Charlton as they defeated Crawley 2-1 last night. The official site must know something I don't as they commented, 'The Reds had looked set for a point in West Sussex.' I didn't think we were playing in the Conference yet.

You will find quite a full report here: Crawley

The Valley of the Doomed

Another analysis of the reasons for our fate: Doom

There's not much that's new there, but it's reasonably sensible and restrained. What does irritate me is the repetition of the headline £20m debt figure when most of this is owed, in effect, by the board to itself. In any case, what matters with debt is whether you can service it.

One Australian once accused me of 'wallowing in the stagnant pool of my own vapidity' and too much reflection on our fate may not help future recovery. I think that the club has some underlying structural problems and I may reflect on those when I have time.

Just after I posted this the chief football writer of the Mirror rang up, ostensibly to do a story on the financial challenges facing League 1 and League 2 clubs. However, he seemed very interested in Charlton and seemed to think I might be able to dish the dirt - which I wouldn't do even if I knew anything.

Time is running out a bit, as it looks as if my call up to government service is imminent. There have been many delays along the way and I thought it was never going to happen. But these are desperate times.

I am meeting my new boss on April 1st and I can't imagine that she will be all that keen on either Charlton or blogging. Also I will be commuting to London from Warwickshire so that they will take up a lot of time and energy.

The Izale McLeod business seems to be rumbling on. Apparently there are going to be new discussions after a 'cooling off' period. It really must have gone off at The New Den. Did someone start throwing spanners?

The thought of McLeod as one of our strikers next season does not fill me with a lot of enthusiam. I know he can run about a lot, but strikers need to be able to find the back of the net, an art we have lost at Charlton.